University of Utah Health Care Again Ranked Among America's Best

University of Utah Health Care Again Ranked Among America's Best

Aug 28, 2009 11:02 AM

SALT LAKE CITY – For the 16th time, University of Utah Health Care has been ranked among the nation’s top health care providers in U.S. News & World Reports’ 20th annual survey of America’s Best Hospitals.

“It is always gratifying to be ranked among the best, and this recognition truly reflects the hard work and dedication of our physicians and staff,” said David Entwistle, chief executive officer of University of Utah Hospitals & Clinics. “Our first priority is always to our patients and we continually work to provide them with the best health care through a combination of service, comfort, personal care, and technical excellence.”

The annual rankings look at 16 medical specialties to list the top 50 hospitals in each area. University of Utah Health Care made the list for its exceptional gynecology specialty services, but making the cut was not easy. U.S. News initially evaluated 5,453 hospitals based on three standards: membership in the Council of Teaching Hospitals; affiliation with a medical school; and the availability of advanced services and technology. Hospitals that met one of these three standards were then considered for ranking. Only 170 U.S. hospitals made the list.

To be ranked among the top 50 in any specialty, a hospital had to meet one of two requirements: it must have treated a minimum number of Medicare patients who had specific conditions or underwent certain procedures during a three-year period, or it had to be named among the best by at least one physician in the latest three annual surveys.

Finally, hospitals were rated on three more factors for each specialty: reputation, death rate, and care factors, such as the patient-to-nurse ratio.

University of Utah Health Care has worked hard and the rankings in this prestigious survey celebrate its success, according to Entwistle. “This recognition is definitely something to be proud of,” he said.